


Collection

by timahina



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: AU, AUs everywhere, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Sleeping Beauty Fusion, F/M, Post-Canon, Smut, ZarcRay Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-02 16:00:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10222046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timahina/pseuds/timahina
Summary: Each chapter is a different prompt for ZarcRay Week.Day 1: After destroying each other and splitting the world, maybe it was time they officially met.Day 2: Falls are quite dangerous. It was an accident, really.Day 3: He's going to eat me. [NSFW]Day 4: Expectations were a funny thing indeed.Day 5: These weren't meant for him.Day 6: Ray's in labor.Day 7: True love's kiss will awaken her.Day 8: Maybe it was time to move on.





	1. Initial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt || First Meeting  
> After destroying each other and splitting the world, maybe it was time they officially met.

“Take a seat.” Ray extended her arm out to the seat in front of her as Zarc neared the table. He simply stared at her cheerful disposition, absolutely frivolous. What did she have to be so happy about? Oh, no wait, he nearly forgot. What _didn’t_ she have to be happy about? She got her family back, her spotless reputation ascended to godlike status, the absolute adoration of all those who saw her.

He, _however…_

“Yea, thanks.” Why this restaurant? It looked classy, too much out of his price range. But she was a rich girl, she could afford it. Hell, in the heyday of his dueling days – he could too. This just wasn’t preferred. Even worse now, he could feel the stares digging into his back. It was worse here than at the Sakaki house. There, it was only three people. Three different sets of anger and judgment. It was easy to handle, to ignore. Here was multiple, so much more.

And all he had to distract himself was a menu of overpriced food and an unsavory lunch date.

Ray tried not to fidget in her seat but it was natural to be nervous. Across from her was Zarc, the grand champion of the original world and the demon duelist of the four worlds. It was all due to him that they lived as four separate beings in four separate worlds. And now, they were sitting together having lunch. She had to make the best of the situation. “So uh… how’s everything?”

He nearly rolled his eyes. “Sucks.” Small-talk was useless to him. She was the last person he wanted to talk to, and considering the list – that was a major accomplishment. He put his focus on the menu, trying to find the most expensive drink and meal he could find. Maybe he’d order dessert, too, something that set itself on fire.

“Ah, that sounds…” There was nothing to go off from there. He was probably doing this on purpose. Wait, was he? Ray didn’t know enough about him to make a proper guess. All she had to go on were the memories of her alter egos and what they knew of the boys. Nothing in them was really awkward… maybe shy? Then again, she remembered Zarc as loud and bombast. The difference between a public reputation and private actions. “Uh, how do you get along with Sakaki Yuya? Yuzu has told me before he’s really big on entertainment dueling, along with Sakaki Yushou. Gives you all something to talk about, right?”

Zarc snorted as he closed the menu. “Yuya’s desire to avenge his dead-beat dad was the whole reason I first awoke. Of all people, they’re the last ones to want to talk to me. Now, Ray,” Zarc leaned forward, glaring at her and a sly smirk graced his face. “You wanna tell me why you brought me here? I know it ain’t to hear me bitch.”

He was crude and blunt, hardly well enough for polite conversation and society. But it needed to be done. Just a small effort, taking the first step. “Well, I… I wanted to get to know you.”

“Why?”

Why indeed. Her leg started bouncing in her nervousness, becoming anxious. The reasoning itself was somewhat selfish, more exploratory than anything else. “I want to, you know… get along.”

“… Why?” At least Zarc was talking to her now. Confused and slightly irritated, but open to conversation.

“Well, because…” Wasn’t it natural to try and put the past behind them? Their alter egos had lived beside each other, their relationships and bonds were strong proving it was possible for them to get along. Perhaps not as well as their other selves, but the potential was there. What made any part of her drawn to any part of him? Those girls loved him and she didn’t understand. And the best way to understand was to dive right into the mud and get to know herself. What made him so great?

Right now, he was just an ass. A very closed-off ass.

Before she could provide a proper answer, the waiter came by. Zarc was the first to order, not even caring that their server was shooting daggers at him. Ray paid close attention to what he ordered and if she recalled correctly, all those things were so expensive… _definitely_ a petty ass.

“Uh, steak please. Medium rare, if you can.”

_God, she’s too polite._

A side effect of being split off, Zarc could almost recall which mannerism belong to which of the girls. The overly polite tone, it was that XYZ girl… Ruri. He scowled, another side effect of splitting – he remembered all their names. From the amount of times those boys screamed for those girls, they were burned into his skull.

 _Ruri, Rin, Serena… Yuzu._ Yuzu was the worst offender. He couldn’t even look at the color pink anymore without feeling sick.

The waiter smiled and took their menus, leaving off to their other tables. Again, they were left alone. “What’s your favorite color?”

She perked up at the question, not expecting him to ask her anything. What a weird question too… She shrugged. “Uh, I don’t know. Baby blue, I guess. It’s a really calming color. What’s yours?”

 _At least it’s not pink…_ “Green. It’s a cool color.” Their server came back with drinks. Ray had some… fruity-colored drink and he had a bottle of wine. The waiter had barely finished pouring out a glass before Zarc immediately took it and start drinking it with large gulps rather than slowly appreciating the flavor.

Ray blinked, simply watching him chug it like a thirsty man wandering the desert. Was he an alcoholic? She hoped not… “Don’t forget to breathe, ya know.”

He slammed it back down on the table, the cup mostly empty. “So why _are_ we here? I mean, I know why _I’m_ here. You offered to pay for lunch and I don’t turn down free meals. You, though, probably got better things.”

“Well… it’s not like I got much going for me right now.” Everything from her former life was gone, nothing but distant memory. All her friends were so much older than her, if she could even find them. A new style of dueling was needed for her to try and enter the circuit.

Zarc laughed. His laugh sounded odd to her. She had heard him do so before, but it was either this fake laughter practiced for a crowd or one of sick enjoyment of chaos. No, this one was genuine – it didn’t sound like he did it often. “Oh, _please_! You got your dad back, a big ass family, everyone kissing your ass-”

“No, I–”

“You get freedom to do _whatever_ you like without everyone tiptoeing around you.” He didn’t allow her to get a word in, not now. Zarc was too frustrated. “You get the adoration of your little mini-me’s. Don’t got much going for you? _Really_?” He hated liars. Not even liars, those who sought pity when nothing was wrong. What did she have to complain about? To waste her time by trying to talk to him?

Was this a way of taming the wild beast?

If it hadn’t been for the promise of food, he’d have left and not bothered.

Ray’s leg had yet to stop shaking, the anxiety bubbling up worse than before. It was just… he was right. With a new life came new advantages. A bigger family – she had always wanted siblings and now she had two younger brothers. Even Himika wasn’t too terrible. But there was a sense of awkwardness and unfamiliarity. Her father was distant from Reiji and Reira and in return they avoided him. Between him and Himika, there was no love. It was nothing but dysfunction.

Being an Akaba in Maiami City granted her much more freedom than before, luxury she hadn’t been granted before. But it was lonely. This wasn’t her life. She was out of place.

So was he.

By that logic, weren’t they supposed to get along?

No, of course not. She split him up… twice. And he destroyed everything twice. Nothing about them was meant to get along. “… They don’t really _adore_ me. I think I scare them, to be honest. The girls, I mean. It’s hard to look at someone and see yourself, literally.”

A sentiment he understood. Living with Yuya was a weird sensation, she didn’t have to experience this. She didn’t live with any of her clones, he did. And it was _weird_ to see how many of Yuya’s mannerisms were similar. The little morning habits, the attitude – he remembered being that age. Though he scared Yuya for different reasons. “Poor little rich girl…” Zarc muttered as he took another swig of his wine.

Ray took a sip of hers – somehow, she wished she ordered a less fruity drink. Something harder if she was going to be criticized. She wanted to argue back but the details weren’t his to know. They weren’t close, hardly acquaintances even. “What do they even see in you?”

Zarc barely looked up, flashing a smile. He didn’t even know what she was talking about. “My dashing good looks, obviously. That or they’re scared I’m gonna sprout wings and breathe fire.” He pointed to the guests behind him and Ray noticed for the first time how many eyes were on them. Not even them, but specifically him. And he did nothing but joke about it, brushing it aside. Did the attention not bother him?

“Ah, no. I meant…” _The girls_.

But how would she say that?

Even right now, she was trying to put two and two together. Yuya was cheerful, wanting to spread happiness. Yugo, a goofball. Yuto, calm and collected. And Yuri was… much like Zarc, however more curious. They all made him. An embittered shut-in.

“I know what you meant. And I’m as lost as you are.” Wasn’t she supposed to be a science-type person? She should have the answers. If anything, he should be asking why his clones cared about hers. But he chalked it up to stupid boys and hormones. Though puberty didn’t make him want to chase after girls across dimensions and be willing to kill for them… No, no. They were stupid boys. Not that hard of a solution. Zarc didn’t want to think too hard. He scrunched his face in displeasure, turning his eyes away. A sign that he didn’t want to continue that conversation any further.

Another few minutes of silence before their food arrived. She made a face at his plate – some kind of seafood platter. It wasn’t possible for him to finish that all in one sitting, it was practically a family meal.

“Can you eat all that?” Ray didn’t think about what she asked, simply blurting it out.

“We ain’t close enough for you to nag me.” As if being spiteful, Zarc took large bites of his food – hardly chewing as he continued his obnoxious manner. “Just because they did in two different realities,” Zarc began waving his fork at her and talking with his mouth full, “don’t mean _you’re_ allowed to in this one.”

_Two different…?_

He must’ve referred to the girls. Simple guessing, probably Yuzu and Rin. That brief time when she and the girls were stuck in the machine, she could see their memories. Yes, Zarc definitely meant those two. They often scolded Yuya and Yugo for their nonsense. Yuya simply teased her in return, a game of cat and mouse, while Yugo always barked back, defiant. But the way he phrased that was interesting.

 _She_ wasn’t allowed to do actions _they_ did. He saw them as different entities, different beings. Even she had yet to fully comprehend that, sometimes making the mistake of referring to them as extensions of herself. Or rather… seeing the boys, whenever she did see them – they were nothing but Zarc to her. Just more extensions of him. They contained parts of him. The better parts.

But that was wrong. She knew it was wrong. That was the same logic her father followed and the mess that ensued nearly destroyed the dimensions. No, they were different. She was Ray and the girls were themselves.

And he was Zarc. A foul mouthed, petty, bitter brat… who wanted nothing but the adoration of the crowd and ultimately turned on them. And was right now, annihilating seafood and drowning in alcohol. “Do you get along with them? The boys, I mean.”

“Not really,” he was barely audible with all the food stuffed in his mouth. She supposed he wasn’t used to table manners or even had any. That or he was purposefully trying to annoy her. “They got their own shit to deal with. I like staying out of it.”

“So what do you do most days?”

Zarc stared at his plate for a moment, trying to think of a plausible answer. Admitting the truth was… slightly lame. More than slightly, actually. It was the life of a shut-in loser. No matter what world, it was the same. However, the limelight of before was gone and replaced with infamy. The audience didn’t want his return nor cried for it. As before, he had nothing but his cards. Not even that since his dragons were with his clones.

His silence worried her. Maybe it was best to get straight to the point. “If you don’t do anything, we could do stuff. Like uh… apparently, I have gained a family of introverts so going out is impossible. And since you’re the only person I know that’s _my_ age and that I actually know-”

He shouldn’t react, he knew it wasn’t best. Zarc wanted to keep up appearances, like he disliked her. He didn’t want to fall into the same trap as the stupid boys. Caring for someone only to lead to their downfall… _him_. “You’re not asking me out, are ya?” He played it off as a joke, laughing softly. “If so, then oh _man_ you got some weird taste. I know going for bad boys is the ultimate style but I don’t think you’re ready for my level.”

It was too much. Ray did her best to cover her mouth, control herself and act like the adult she was. But in the end, instinct overtook her and she laughed _hard_. His manner of delivery and how smooth it came out, no hesitation whatsoever. She wished for that sort of confidence, the way he could change a topic he didn’t like to something else – the easy way he played it off. Ray couldn’t even pretend to be flustered by that question.

“… it’s not _that_ ridiculous for you to ask me out. I was pretty popular once.” Zarc grumbled, the tips of his ears turning warm as he pushed his food.

“No, no. It’s not that…” She needed to straighten up, clear her throat and adjust her posture. For now, the smile still stuck. “I didn’t know you had a sense of humor, a _good_ one at that.”

Zarc didn’t know how to take that. Of all the things to note, it was his sense of humor. She referred to _his_ sense of humor, recognizing it as his own. Not a holdover or remnants of other pieces or portions of the boys. He remembered in the days before the violence had started, he made jokes to other duelists. To the crowd even. Her laugh was nice. A bit obnoxious but it wasn’t drowned out in a crowd. “Thanks, I’m here all week.”

“Does that mean I can get you out for mornings? We could go jogging.”

“No.”

“I’ll get you pancakes afterwards.”

“… a _short_ jog.”


	2. Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt || Enemies  
> Falls are quite dangerous. It was an accident, really.

Dueling was becoming a problem. A terrible and annoying problem that tested the power of his patience. Well… not _dueling_ perse since dueling was a hobby he enjoyed. His life-blood at this point. No, but rather the Pro-Dueling Circuit that was grating to his skin. There was always some new height to reach, some new fad that each duelist decided to follow the trend of. Granted, Zarc was the one who often created the trends and everyone else copied him.

When he decided to make the crowd involved, so did the other Pro-Duelists.

When he _accidentally_ roughed up an opponent, violent duels became the new fad.

When he had shown _mercy_ and made a grand spectacle of it in order to stop the further escalation of violence, suddenly compassion was the name of the game.

Everyone was just a bunch of conformists. Well… everyone except _one_.

And unfortunately, _she_ was the problem.

Ray _The Speeding Diva_ Akaba, or as the rest of the circuit and the audience liked to declare her, the one and only rival. Whenever she had duels against him, the tickets were sold out almost instantly. They had the best charisma, the best chemistry. Whatever he dished out, Ray had no trouble thinking on her feet and keeping up – besting him. The crowd ate it up, the battle of wits… the taunting… the stunts of flying through the air.

Him catching her in his arms in their most recent duel.

The ultimate culmination of his problem with dueling.

“Don’t fall for me too easily now, sweetheart.” Zarc winked at her, keeping a cool and flirty demeanor while his heart was pounding – he hoped he wasn’t blushing. The problem wasn’t dueling or the circuit or even his opponents, only one opponent and supposed rival, Ray Akaba. Ironically, he was the one to take a drastic fall for her and with each duel, it had gotten _so_ **_much_** worse.

Ray did not find his comment as funny as the audience did and pouted – Zarc did his best to resist swooning.

“I’ll try to remember that.” She tried to wriggle out of his arms but he held firm. Ray groaned. Again, he was making everything difficult. By keeping her in place, she couldn’t get the action cards nor activate cards or anything of the like.

But he didn’t have another attack… she was safe.

“Odd-Eyes effect activates!”

Or not.

“Let go of me!” Ray screamed, pushing at his face and kicking – nothing making a real substantial effect. She could hear the roar of the monster under them and her eyes widened, realizing she didn’t have time to waste. Taking a deep breath, Ray took hold of her goggles at the top of her head and put them on – the world now rose-colored. Rather than using brute strength against her stubborn opponent, Ray somehow leapt out of his arms. The panicked look on his face when he saw her fall again, the gasp of the audience as she was heading toward the ground only fueled her need to bring joy to them. “Trap, activate!”

A cloud appeared under her suddenly, saving her from a rather steep drop.

The crowd cheered as she was saved, this time by her own cards rather than Zarc running toward her on his dragon and catching her. In another moment, Zarc would’ve jumped after her if it meant saving her from actual harm. But she put herself in danger… leading the crowd _and_ him on with a feat of danger and saving herself in the last second. Truly heart-pounding.

“With this, I can summon a level four or lower monster from my graveyard.”

How enthusiastic she was. Zarc could only describe her as adorable, even with the idiotic pink goggles that were too big for her face.

 _“Hey, focus on the duel!”_ His monster chastised, not the first time he had to be told this.

But _how_ could he focus when she grinned and laughed as her monsters danced around her. Zarc knew she couldn’t understand what they were saying, but he could perfectly hear them. It was chanting, singing a taunt.

_“Zarc and Ray sitting in a tree…”_

His face reddened and he forgot for a moment that no one else aside from him and his monsters could understand. Only thinking how her monster winked at him, taunting him – a mirror of Ray and her mannerisms.

“All effect damage is negated!”

“ _First comes love, then comes marriage…!”_

Zarc gritted his teeth, barely suppressing a growl. The audience thought he grew frustrated from Ray dodging his attacks once more, saving herself by the skin of her teeth. But no, he could care less about that. No, it was her monster and the taunts. “I end my turn…” Zarc muttered. He just had to ignore the puffball.

“My turn! Draw!”

“ _Oh, no wait, that can’t happen at all!”_ Her monster giggled, twirling around Ray as she continued with her combo.

He wanted to destroy that thing, have Odd-Eyes tear it limb from limb and then revive it only to tear it apart once more. Maybe bringing back violent duels wouldn’t be such a bad idea – Zarc was up for a little torture. It’d definitely stir up excitement from the audience.

“You’re not besting me!” He shouted to her monster, Ray and the audience assumed he was talking to her, attempting to make banter. She scoffed, such weak banter meant he was losing his edge.

“ _But it’s true. After all-”_

“Battle!” Ray declared.

Zarc didn’t hear. He didn’t hear _anything_ aside from the taunts.

“ _That would involve you telling her you like her and you’re too much of a baby for that_.”

The puffball continued and he was losing circulation of his arm from how tightly his fists were balled up. Maybe he could _physically_ fight the monster and champion a new era into Duel Monsters like gladiator fights. “You stop that…!”

“ _Baby! Baby!_ ”

“ _Zarc, focus! Don’t listen to that pipsqueak!_ ”

Along with the monsters overlapping and the crowd cheers, he couldn’t concentrate on anything. Instead, Zarc gripped tightly onto his head and his fingers dug into his scalp, a headache erupted from the noise and stress. Who allowed this? Why was this happening? When would they all _shut up_?

Ray noticed.

Did the possibility of losing stress him out that much? _What a brat._

“Zarc!” Somehow, her voice ascended above the crowd. “Pay attention, you big baby!”

A final nail in the coffin. “Don’t call me a baby! Just because I like you, don’t mean you get a pass either!” His eyes were finally open and with that, his words were an echo across the stadium. Zarc realized where he was and the sort of predicament he was in. He was dueling.

Against Ray Akaba.

His crush.

And he yelled at her. Well, _screamed_ mostly, his feelings.

To top it all off, there was an audience just as stunned as she was. And worse yet, he forgot that it was a duel with a final attack launched toward him. Before he could react properly, the attack reached him and knocked him off Odd-Eyes. His monster disappeared and his life points depleted to zero. Zarc fell none too gracefully to the ground, groaning as he laid there.

The audience cheered as the holograms went away and Ray ran up to her fallen opponent. She had never seen Zarc react like that before, become so frustrated with battle that he lost his concentration. Was it just the battle?

**_‘Just because I like you…!’_ **

Her cheeks tinged pink as she crouched down. She couldn’t help but be worried. He had yet to move. Was the fall terrible? Did she need to call the ambulance? What if he messed up his legs or his back or even his head and was never the same afterwards? “… Zarc, please say something.” She couldn’t panic, she needed to stay calm. Ray laid her hand atop of his, nearly shaking in place.

“… nner?”

He mumbled something but it was hardly audible, not while his face was against the dirt like that. “D-Don’t say anything, I’m gonna get you a doctor.”

She almost got up but instead, Zarc lifted up his head abruptly and took hold of her hand that was on his, trying his best to keep her in place. He imagined he didn’t look all too great, not with the fall. And he was definitely feeling something wet on the side of face and his skin irritatingly warm. Worse than he imagined, Zarc saw his face on the giant screen. He was bleeding _and_ blushing. But Ray… Ray was a vision, with her pink goggles pushed up and her eyes wide and glistening with tears.

He wanted to cheer her up.

“Do you… wanna go out to dinner with me? Loser pays…”

“Dinner? You’re super injured!”

“… hospitals don’t have food?”

“Zarc!”

“Take-out is an option…”

“Are you hearing yourself?!” She was ready to bop him over the head. Of all the things, how could he think about dinner? Food! How could he think of such trivial things at a time like this?

“So we duel for dinner, got it. I win, we get seafood.” She nearly snorted and he continued, slowly lifting himself off the ground with great difficulty. “And you win, we get… I don’t know, hot pockets. What do you even eat?” The more he rambled, the harder it became to try and keep her smile at bay – laughter bubbling up and she placed her free hand over her mouth trying to stop herself.

“… you’re so stupid.” Zarc smiled and tried to remove himself from all fours before collapsing, his head falling on her lap. She didn’t become irritated by his clumsiness, it was only natural he was unsteady after a fall like that. Ray placed her hand down on his head, patting his hair gently in slow strokes. “Don’t fall for me too hard, sweetheart.”

“Too late.”


	3. Sacrificial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt || Sacrifice  
> He's going to eat me. [NSFW]

Ray straightened up the flower crown on her head, biting her lip to contain the tears. The tribute chosen this year was her. It had been a long grueling month to accept her fate. The moment she first woke up and saw the red arrow launched through her window, she knew it would be her.

Her father had grieved and tried to deny the truth, her younger brothers were just as sorrowful to see her off. She told the eldest of them to take charge and to take care of everyone as she had. Ray could only hold the youngest one’s hand and tell him everything was going to be ok – that she would be fine and they would see each other again. He hardly understood what was happening. Her father was the one who had the hardest time accepting it.

Through his denial, she found it easier to accept the circumstances. After all, one of them had to maintain the strength.

“Ray, it’s time to go.”

She took a deep breath.

Being the tribute meant she was to be taken into the forest with nothing but a small candle. And when it went out, she would be swept away into the night and never to be heard from again. What awaited her was anyone’s guess.

_I’m gonna be eaten._

Their god required a yearly sacrifice else he would destroy the harvest. A legend from when she was a kid regarding his origins involving great sorrow and loss and this was a yearly tradition to humble themselves. Maybe this would be the year where he wouldn’t accept it. Some years, he didn’t accept a sacrifice and the harvest went bad. This could end up that way. Or he would accept her and she would never be seen again.

The day dragged on as she was led to the forest, her friends and family slowly leaving her as the sun vanished. The candle still burned strong. Somehow, she wished she was given a shorter candle. Ray laid it down and sat across from it. Maybe the real game was waiting to be eaten by some kind of beast of the forest. Either way, she didn’t have long. In fact, she was about ready to put out the candle herself.

That seemed better, actually.

Instead of waiting for it to go down by itself, which would take a while since it was a full candle. With no food or water, she could die before it went out.

_Yea, screw this._

She might as well invite death. Ray inhaled deeply and blew out the candle, her only source of light instantly gone and suddenly, she became very much aware of the shining golden eyes staring at her from the bushes and the low growling emanating from it. She fell back in a panic, scooting away as much as she could. And yet, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from their intense gaze.

Maybe this beast would eat her whole.

Ray yelped as she felt her back hit something. She quickly turned her head, confirming that it was just a tree and as she turned back, she could’ve sworn she saw movement. The golden eyes were gone, but she still heard the low growling. Panic was sweeping her, she shouldn’t have blown out the candle. She should’ve kept it lit and savored the light for whatever time was left. But no, her impatience overruled her and now she could only wait for death.

She closed her eyes and her breathing hastened. It was nerve-wrecking, hearing only her own panting and the rustling of the bushes around her. She dug her fingers into the ground, waiting for her heart to be carved off. Or her head to be lopped off. Literally anything.

And yet, she felt no pain. Nothing. Cautiously, she opened one eye and immediately covered her mouth to stop her screams. This was… was a monster before her eyes. The golden eyes, they were not human. His unruly gray hair, the things protruding where his ears should be, the large black wings from his back… Not human. Was this their god?

He flashed her a smile as he leaned closer, his mouth against her ear. “You’re an eager one.” His breath was warm against her, sending odd tingles across her body. “Not that I mind…” Whatever this creature was, he was bold as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Given his appearance, gentle was not what she expected to describe his lips on her ear.

“W-w-wait!” Ray could barely speak, unsure of what to do or say as she pushed both hands against his chest – _oh_ , his skin felt incredibly weird. “I, er… what are you-” She bit her lip, suppressing a giggle at feeling his lips on her neck and small nips on her skin. Ray tried to squirm away but that only made his hold on her waist tighter. Exactly what was he doing?

Who was he?

 _What_ was he?

And where was his hand…!

“Hey!” Ray pulled on what was _supposedly_ his ear and he yelped in surprise. He did indeed move his head. Now he faced her with an indignant pout as her cheeks reddened. They had different ideas on where this was supposed to go. “What are you doing!”

“You. Or at least _trying_ to.”

Her cheeks were practically on fire now, she could feel the tips of her ears go ablaze. “You’re the God of this region, Zarc… right?” The first thing she needed to do was to make sure she didn’t unintentionally anger him. If he was not their god, she had no reason to play nice.

He nodded and huffed – it was like an impatient child. “Well, duh. And _you’re_ mine. You’re not being super cooperative either…”

Ray felt lost. She had never been told how Zarc accepted the tributes, just that they were to be sent to the forest with a candle and they were never seen again. Presumably, given the tales, she thought he devoured them. Or killed them in some over the top ritualistic fashion. It never crossed her mind that he would try to… touch them.

“E-Exactly what do you expect?” Surely she was wrong and he wasn’t actually trying to… _no_ , of course not.

“Well…” His fingers were pulling at her waist, messing with the material to try and gather it as his other hand stayed at her hip. “I expect you to please me.” She didn’t have a moment to react properly before his lips were on hers. She’d been kissed before, none were the greatest or with any sort of skill but they were passable. This was different; rough, commanding. A searing touch as though he was branding her.

Ray was stunned, too stunned to move. What was even the proper reaction? Hesitantly, Ray kissed him back. This was what she was supposed to do… right? It must’ve been, the slightest bit of reciprocation made him eager and he pulled her till their chests were pressed against the others.

A strange feeling coursed through her. Was it disgust? Resignation? Whatever it was, it left her uneasy and she turned away, trying to catch her breath. Her suitor, however, had yet to stop. His lips went back to her neck, nipping and sucking at her skin. Ray couldn’t help but giggle, it was difficult not to considering it tickled. Why was he doing this though? Was this his way of toying with the sacrifices before devouring them?

A queasy feeling set in as she began to shake.

Zarc noticing something was wrong. Aside from the giggling, no sounds of enjoyment came her and instead she was shaking. He backed up slightly, moving his hands up to cup her face and examined her.

She could hardly look at him. Her focus was on the odd spikes under his chin, down his arms… she didn’t want to know where else they were.

“Well, I don’t see any injury…” He removed his hands from her and simply sighed, another pout. “Am I doing something wrong?” Ray was even more lost than before. Why was he acting so concerned? Wasn’t he supposed to be killing her or torturing her or whatever it was he usually did to the tributes? How could she even respond to him? Zarc groaned, backing away completely and sitting cross-legged across from her. “Geez… you’re not exactly helpful. Why did they even send me a bride?”

That caught her attention.

A bride?

“What…?”

She wasn’t a bride. No, she was a sacrifice. She was in a simple white dress meant for corpses. The flowers she wore on her head signified death, the end of life – funeral flowers. Was he acting like this because he mistook her for a bride? He couldn’t have.

No way.

Zarc reached out and removed one of the flowers from her crown, knowing taking the whole thing off would probably cause her injury since it was tied into her hair. “My _bride_.” He emphasized, holding the flower out in front of her.

It was a white flower, one that signified death and… no, wait. This wasn’t a funeral flower. No, that was an anemone. That was the flower they decided to decorate her crown with and normally, they chose any white flower. But this one wasn’t… that. Her eyes went wide as she put the pieces together.

This was the type of flower for celebrations of love. For marriages and happy couples, for…! Her face reddened. That’s why he was touching her, kissing her and being gentle. He assumed she was given as a bride, a different type of sacrifice and he was clearly accepting her if he was touching her. She needed to correct him immediately. “I-I think, um…” But on the other hand, telling him she wasn’t a bride - just another sacrifice meant she had a different fate. The same as all the others before her.

Being a tribute meant she was to be devoured and tortured, making sure her village stayed alive for another year till the next sacrifice. Whereas a bride… she could stay alive and perhaps… Ray gulped, her cheeks still flushed.

“You think, what?” He raised a brow. She had gotten uncomfortably silent. Was this normal behavior for brides or did they give him a weird one? Maybe that’s why she was given to him, she was the weird one of her town and they figured this was an easy way to get rid of her. Well, he wasn’t entirely picky. The idea of a bride just never really came to mind.

“I think that…” She took a deep breath and moved away from the tree, slowly crawling toward him. His eyes widened slightly as she climbed atop him, putting her legs on either side to straddle him. This was one way to stay alive. “You should really start calling me _Ray_ , if you want to please me.”

His arm came around her waist and she could feel one of the spikes poking her side. This made her wary of movement but it kept her in place. “Is that so?” Her hands fisted into his hair and pulled his head back. Zarc couldn’t help but grin. “Well _Ray_ , I only want to please my bride.”

 _Bride_ … She had to play the role of the bride, not one of the sacrifice. This was her wedding night now and she had to make the best of it. But how was she supposed to do this? His skin felt weird against hers, scaly and cracked. She needed to be mindful of the spikes, not cut herself on them – wherever they could be. And more so, she didn’t have much of an idea of what to do – only vague knowledge.

Ray trembled as she leaned down, pressing her lips against his. It was a slow kiss, soft and nervous – much like the rest of her body. Zarc held her tightly, his lips moving against hers in a rougher manner. She felt something against her lips, his… his tongue. Teasing licks to her lips as she opened her mouth, the kiss deepened. She heard him groan as his tongue pressed against hers and he moved his body abruptly, flipping their positions so she was beneath him, her back on the dirt.

There were too many things to concentrate on; where his hands began to roam on her body, the increasing chill of the air on her skin as he removed her clothes, her pounding heartbeat echoing in her ears. She broke the kiss, needing air more than anything. It didn’t stop him however, as his kisses became more eager. The teasing nibbles on her jawline down to her collarbone, all the while the tips of his spikes grazing her skin. She hadn’t realized how… _strange,_ different this sensation could feel.

A surprised moan slipped out as his hand was on her breast, giving it a soft squeeze. Ray tried sitting up, realizing she was practically naked under him. He didn’t allow her to move much further, pushing her back down and his mouth against her ear. “You stay here.” His voice was rough, impatient. She nodded slowly, mumbling an apology under her breath. Her body trembled, the last thing she wanted to do was anger him lest his lust turn into bloodlust.

He noticed her sudden fear and chuckled softly, moving up slightly only to kiss her nose. His hands were gentle again, smoothing her hair before kissing her again. She clung onto him, holding him close. This kiss was more tender than before, his hands smoothing over her shoulders and down her sides before resting on her hips. Zarc slid his leg between hers and she shifted, nudging what she assumed was another spike. Zarc broke the kiss and moaned. Ray however, was confused and nudged it again. “Geez… how many spikes do you have?”

“… that’s not a spike, Ray.”

“What?”

Zarc huffed and if it were possible, he was sure his cheeks would be red. “That’s not…!” He grumbled – why was _he_ getting embarrassed? She had more right to be, referring to his erection as a spike!

Ray stared for a moment, nudging it again and his moan was louder this time. It was then… she realized exactly what it was she kept nudging. Her face reddened and she turned away, embarrassed at her ignorance. Zarc watched her expression change from curiosity to sheer shame and he couldn’t help but find it funny, endearing even and laughed. “Don’t laugh! I’m not…” Not used to this, she wanted to say and defend herself.

How was she supposed to know that wasn’t another spike but rather his…

“No, it’s fine.” His hand smoothed her shoulder as his other hand stayed on her hip. “I forget humans are absent-minded.” She was an odd one, that much was for certain. But she was pleasing him – definitely enjoying his night with her. Though he was getting impatient. She was beneath him and naked and he hardy touched her. Was he the only one getting eager?

“I’m not absent-minded.”

This wasn’t as terrible as she thought it would be. Often times, the stories she heard of wedding nights were… horrific. The women of the village always told the girls once they had their first cycle that they could bear children now. That sex was simply there to make children. For the men to enjoy. This was a weird experience, strange emotions bubbling up but it wasn’t so much of a chore as described. She liked kissing, and the touching felt kinda nice.

“You’re not? Let me change that…” A mischievous grin, Ray could almost describe him as handsome. His hands and head moved down her body, laying kisses along her stomach. She giggled again, somehow, he kept finding the spots she was most ticklish at. She covered her mouth, trying to suppress her giggles. This wasn’t the time to be laughing, but he had yet to scold her. No, instead his lips stayed there till her hand went to his hair and yanked.

“Stop tickling me!” Her face was still flushed, both from her laughing and his intrusive kisses. The grin stayed as he raised his hand and held onto her wrist, pulling her till she softened her grip and eventually dropped her hand. He went back down, moving down from her stomach to even lower. On instinct, she tried to close her legs but his hands held onto her thighs, keeping them spread and preventing her from putting his head into some kind of chokehold and hurting herself.

“Hold still, Ray.”

Her body was shaking again, for different reasons. Not so much of fear but anticipation. At feeling his tongue against such a sensitive area, she flung her head back and moaned. She hardly knew what to make of this sensation but it… it felt _good._ He did it again, slower and experimental licks and she moaned loudly, trying to fight against his hold on her thighs and close them. It was weird, how tight his grip could be and how easily she could be reduced to moans and trying to cover her mouth.

“… _ah!_ ” A moan slipped out and she arched her back, finding it difficult to keep fighting against his hold. Instead, she was sitting up slightly, trying to grip onto his hair in an attempt to try and hold onto something, anything. To ground herself as pleasure ransacked her body.

Zarc smirked as he watched her struggle dissolve into surrender, her initial shy and nervous shaking become more of her uncertain of how to respond to pleasure. Oh… he definitely liked this girl. He liked her reactions, her moans, even her constant giggling. A repeat of this night was in order – something less… awkward. Something slower, longer. He wanted to memorize each curve and fold of her body and perhaps see her more aggressive, less nervous.

But for now… Her moans became more frequent as his licks traveled up to her clit and turned to sucking, enjoying how her grip on his hair became tighter. “ _Zarc!_ ” She moaned his name, repeatedly as her body began to shake.

Something like this… he wanted a repeat. To her turn like this again, crying out for him and moaning for him.

Ray was nearing her end, feeling like the knot in her stomach was ready to burst. All thoughts and ideas were gone, nothing but how good this felt and how badly she wanted release. Almost to torture her, Zarc was humming against her. With how sensitive she became, it didn’t take long for her climax to come and her body to shake.

It was… such a strange experience to feel such overwhelming pleasure only for her body to become heavy and tired as she fell back, panting heavily. Zarc lifted himself up onto his elbows, wiping his mouth and proudly smirked as he stared at her. Her eyes were half-lidded and her chest fell and rose with her quick breaths. He quite liked this look on her. But still… “Ray…” He whispered to her as he picked her up, ignoring her quiet protest as he cradled her in his arms, pressing his lips against her forehead. “Did I please my bride?”

She felt too embarrassed to verbalize, merely resorting to nodding her head. Ray tried to shift in his arms, but his grip on her held firm as before. It was strange, his eyes seemed somewhat distant, as though he were deep in thought.

Mostly, he was thinking about his own needs. How his own body was still hot and eager. The night was still young but continuing on in the middle of a forest… no, he didn’t want onlookers. He wasn’t in the mood for sharing or interruptions. “Rest a little.” He spoke softly against her, a smile against her skin. “… You still have to _please me_ , Ray.”


	4. Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt || History  
> Expectations were a funny thing indeed.

If there was one thing Ray had a history of, it was judging things at face value and being slightly impulsive about them. For instance, she had run out of her usual tea mix and instead of dealing with her dad’s generic brand coffee, it was time to go down to the café down the street. Not a usual habit in her morning routine since the line was always ridiculously absurd and the prices even worse. But she needed a morning pick-me-up and this worked well.

As she waited in line, her eyes wandered around the shop. Business people checking their watches every three seconds, impatient people yelling at the barista over the foam level in their morning coffee, a kid crying because it was too early – she could sympathize to a degree. But there was one person who caught her attention. He was walking up to the pickup area and took a large mug, something with a heavy amount of foam that he planned to drink in shop and took a seat in the corner. Ray couldn’t help but keep her eyes on him, how serious his expression was and the vivid gold color of his eyes.

Those drew her in.

He looked like something out of a magazine, taking slow sips of his coffee and checking his phone. She was awestruck – no, more than that. _Worse_ than that. It was like an arrow had pierced her heart.

Whoever this guy was… he was totally her type. Ray was bouncing in place, becoming impatient and kept looking back to the line. She wanted them to hurry up, move faster so she could get her drink and sit by that guy. Have a conversation with him.

Get his number and have him fall madly in love with her so they could live in a cottage by the sea and make love by a fire.

She wanted to slap herself, that was _extreme_. No, Ray wanted to talk to him. And possibly get his number so she could have more opportunities to talk to him and perhaps stare at his face too. If the line would move already!

Three more people in front. Ray still found the guy in the corner, licking the side of his mouth where some foam stayed. She could almost scream from how unreal the moment felt. It was difficult not to be impatient. The natural cool presence he had… was he an actor or a performer or something like that?

He had to be, the natural charisma around him.

Two more people.

They needed to hurry up.

Why was that person taking five orders? Did they need a deluxe order or something? They, of course, needed to be giving the cashier a difficult time. Paying for each order separately because different people gave them money… Ray again searched for the guy and found him downing his cup. She watched him wipe his mouth again, grinning at his phone. The smile was brimming with humor, a pure air around him.

One more person!

“Yea, I’ll just take a cookie.”

Ray was ready to shove him aside. She couldn’t believe this man had her waiting for a cookie.

“Next!”

Ah, finally! She ordered something simple, just a black coffee. Easy enough to make that she could grab and rush over to the guy. Sure, it would probably end up being disgusting and bitter but anything could be fixed with cream and sugar. A… _lot_ of sugar.

The barista barely set her cup down before Ray swiped it away and immediately turned, feeling her heart immediately sink. The guy wasn’t there anymore. He already stood up and left. She wanted to scream in frustration. Not only had the prettiest guy she ever laid eyes on was suddenly gone with no clue on who he was to follow, but now she had bitter coffee on top of it.

This day sucked.

\---

“Did you see that guy Zarc?”

“I know! I can’t believe he jumped that high!”

“He’s fucking _insane,_ brah!”

Ray had been hearing all day about a new duelist moving up from the minor leagues to the pros. Apparently, his was the fastest movement of rank in the history of the league. So obviously, there was quite a bit of gossip about him. Photographs were all abuzz and news reporters huddled outside the backroom more than usual. Today was a special day after all. The door opened and the crowd outside was _loud_ , nearly giving her an instant headache before the door was shut again.

There was a guy leaning against the door, panting heavily as he pushed his hand up through his hair.

Wait a moment… she knew this guy.

She had seen him before…! The café guy!

He was a duelist!

Ray approached him, her heart hammering wildly. The few days prior, she had moped over the loss but he was a pro-duelist! And since she had never seen him before, it only fell to reason that he was the new guy. Zarc.

What a weird name.

He turned his head in her direction and their eyes met. Zarc blinked once – twice and she remained still. She hadn’t thought of anything clever to say nor was he saying anything. But still, face to face with her mystery crush… she needed to say something!

“Uh… welcome!” Ray clapped her hands together, a wide smile plastered on her face. She didn’t sound natural. “You’re Zarc, right? Hi, I’m Akaba Ray!” Maybe she could start over. Why was he just _staring_? Did she have a bug on her nose?

A wild thought of maybe he was as enraptured with her as she was with him upon seeing her.

He smiled, standing straight now. “Ray, huh?” She nearly jumped; his voice was deep! And the way he spoke her name… she was in heaven. “I… call me crazy, but I think I know you.”

She snorted. _Damn, that sounded terrible…_ “Uh, you should. We’re in the same circuit.”

Zarc narrowed his eyes, his gaze not straying from her before pulled out his deck and drew a card, holding it up to his ear. Ray stared, not understanding what he was doing.

It… it looked as though he were _listening_ to the card. Nodding to it slowly, making faces and whatnot as though he were conducting a conversation over the phone. But it was a card. What was he even doing?

“Right, ok. So, Ray…” He put the card down and grinned. Why did he seem so cocky? This wasn’t the same handsome smile from before. “Were you _watching_ me before?”

 _… shit!_ Her initial excitement began to die down, replaced with a mixture of dread and confusion. He was actually talking to his cards. And worse yet, he didn’t look like he was kidding. She had seen little kids do this before, talk to their cards as though they were real and could feel their presence. But those were kids messing around. How did he know she watched him before though? Maybe she could brush it off, laugh and say she recognized him from his duels.

No, that was ridiculous. A pro-duelist watching the minor leagues was nonsense, not when the duels were less intense.

“But _don’t worry_! I’m not offended.” His eyes went wide and suddenly, he was right in front of her. “It’ll make things easier when _we_ duel. Losing to a handsome distraction sounds better than just being a terrible duelist.”

She wanted to crawl into a hole. And drag him down the same hole and bury him there. What an ego! Declaring her a terrible duelist! And how did he even know she watching him before? He was just another cocky duelist who found himself lucky enough to be in the big leagues and let it all go to his head. She wanted to destroy him, handsome face and all.

_Terrible duelist? Ha!_

The petty feeling in her gut to try and regain her abused pride. No matter how long it took or under what circumstances, she would beat him in a duel.


	5. Pasties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt || Role Reversal  
> These weren't meant for him.

_A_ _few_ _things_ , that’s what Ray said. He didn’t mind a shopping trip, that wasn’t the problem. Even going from shop to shop and carrying around the heavier packages, Zarc didn’t find that to be much of a hassle. But he did have to wonder exactly one thing.

… exactly how long was this supposed to take?

His feet were sore, his arms were tired, and he was damn hungry for something more filling than greasy mall food. Zarc sighed and stared at the shop Ray had entered. _Intimate Apparel…_ Well, at least this store would be more fun. Maybe he could convince her to try on something lacey or see-through. And maybe she wouldn’t take it too terribly. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Zarc walked in and was nearly distracted by the displays of the _intimate_ lingerie. There were so many different types and colors, he couldn’t help but become rather fascinated. One of them had the strangest ribbons, how was someone supposed to take those things off? Putting it on seemed enough of a hassle… If anything, he imagined himself growing frustrated with the damn ribbons and probably end up ripping them apart. That or just say the mood was over with. But still, he decided to search through the drawers and find one in Ray’s size. Seeing the look on her face when he would give it to her would be much better than any attempt of her acting trying the damn thing.

“Can I help you find anything, sir?” A sales clerk approached him and he waved his hand, the one holding the ribbon wear.

“Nah, just looking around.” He realized exactly what he was waving in her face and put his hand down immediately, laughing slightly and faintly blushed. Maybe he would just look for Ray. The shop wasn’t that big so surely it would only take a minute or two. She wouldn’t be in a section with the sexy lingerie, no if anything she would be… Zarc wondered over to a section with perfumes and obnoxious bath smells and found the red-haired girlfriend. “ _Ray…_ ” He whined as he approached her, wrapping his arms around her waist and hiding his face in the crook of her neck.

She giggled slightly at the warmth of his breath on her neck. “Oh, don’t tell me you’re… what is that?” She patted his hand that held the ribbon concoction.

Zarc grinned, holding her tighter. “Something for you to try on.”

“… hell no.”

“Oh, come on! I wanna see how it works, I’ll even help you.” That suggestion earned him her elbow to his gut and he groaned. Zarc released her, now settling with just standing by her and pouting. The smell in this place was horrendous… how many people needed to spray the perfume samples in the air when there were perfectly good strips _next_ to the samples? Hell, just opening it would have been better than further polluting the air. “Why are you even here? You’re not buying the sexy shit and the regular shit too expensive…”

“I like the perfumes.”

_Of course you do…_

Zarc groaned, kicking the ground in boredom till he saw something that caught his eye. He wasn’t exactly sure… what to make of it. He left Ray for a moment to check it out. _Pasties?_ What the hell were pasties? From the picture, they looked like stickers to put on nipples.

But why would anyone want that?

And for what purpose?

He grabbed it, going back over to Ray and shoving the package in front of her. “Hey, explain this.”

Ray blinked, once – twice, and gritted her teeth. “Zarc!” She sounded exasperated, pushing the package away from her face. “They’re self-explanatory!”

“… explain why any woman would put stickers on her nipples?” He turned the package around, his face contorting into one of pain. “I mean, I’d cry if stickers were on my shit.”

“I don’t know…”

“And why the hell are they expensive, too? Women _pay_ for nipple stickers?”

“Please stop calling them that.”

“Well, I ain’t calling them fucking _pasties,_ that’s for sure.” Zarc mumbled. What was the point of them? Maybe they were supposed to be some kind of sexy display like the ribbon thing he grabbed for Ray. But while that looked like a disaster to put on and take off, it would at least look amazing on her. Give him enough of a visual but tempt him to want to see more. This, however, seemed ridiculous. “Ray, you should try these on.”

“I am not putting those _anywhere_ on me.” Her cheeks reddened in an angry blush. “I’d sooner try on that stupid ribbon thing. Why don’t _you_ try it on?”

_No fun…_

Well, he was curious enough. “Alright, I’m buying both. And you try on this ribbon shit and I’ll… put the stickers on.”

That made her laugh. She didn’t protest, thinking he wasn’t serious. There was no way he was actually going to buy both of those ridiculous things. Ray elected to going back to looking at the different brands of perfumes, smelling them and comparing the prices as well as the scents themselves. But she already bought a lot on this trip and she was getting tired and waiting in another line seemed tedious… plus, she was sure Zarc was exhausted as well.

Maybe she’d save it for another day. That seemed better.

She turned around, intending to see Zarc behind her and checking out more ridiculous things but he was not. No, instead she had to wander the store only to find him at the register buying both items. Her eyes widened as the sales rep handed him a bag and Zarc waved at her. He actually… bought them.

“… oh my god, you didn’t.”

Zarc grinned, holding up the bag. “This will be fun.”

\---

His definition of fun was lost. So much so that he was ready to eat his words.

The drive home was filled with her lecturing him about wasting money on something _stupid_ , on a mere impulsive and ridiculous whim of misplace curiosity. And worse yet, he wasn’t even going to like the pasties!

“Nipple stickers.”

“Shut up!”

Once they were home to their shared apartment, he ran as quickly as he could to their room and dropped several of the packages on the bed. He wanted to get this over with, too curious about what the hell the point of these things were.

“Remember!” Zarc shouted as he took off his jacket and began to unbutton his shirt, “You put on that ribbon thing if I try these on!”

“I didn’t promise shit!”

“Too bad!”

No response other than an exasperated groan. The package itself was weird and so were the stickers. What was the point? What sex appeal was this? He shrugged, opening the package and undoing the stickers. He supposed the instructions were simple enough.

Take off the clear, plastic cover. _Check._

Make sure sticky end is facing toward the skin. _Check._

“Zarc,” a knock on the bathroom door, “you’re not actually putting that thing on?”

Press it against skin. _And check!_

And repeat on other side.

_Check!_

Zarc opened the door, leaning seductively against the frame with his shirt open. Ray’s eyes went wide when she noticed the cream colored spots on where his nipples were supposed to be. He actually… “So, tell me Ray. Am I… _irresistible_?”

She couldn’t take it and burst into laughter, clutching onto her side. He put them on! He actually put the stickers on! This wasn’t a dream. Ray wasn’t sure whether her laughter was from embarrassment alone or a mix of sympathy because stickers.  “You’re ridiculous, you stupid…” She could hardly breath as she stepped forward, leaning against him to muffle her laughter.

Well, he grinned. At least she couldn’t find the energy to lecture him anymore. But the purpose of these things were supposed to be sexy and she was in a laughing fit. And he certainly didn’t find much appeal to them. It must’ve been some other purpose, that or a kink he didn’t get.

… how was he supposed to get them off?

“Hey Ray-”

“You’re gonna _die_ in those things!” She mocked through her laughter, wrapping her arms around him.

He didn’t think this out well enough.


	6. Labor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt || In Another World  
> Ray's in labor.

Zarc was known for his acrobatic maneuvering across the field as well as riding atop his monsters and taking his opponents for a stroll. He enjoyed toying with them, that much was certain. Today however…

“Huh? What’s that?” He held up his cards to his ears and he could hear the monsters on the field groan in irritation over this. “You’re saying I should activate an effect? Hmmm, I don’t know…” Zarc stroked his chin with his free hand, pretending to be in thought and the audience laughed. Suddenly, his duel disk began to vibrate which nearly knocked him over his monster in surprise.

He was getting a phone call?

_Now?_

He pressed the answer button, chuckling slightly as he put it on speaker. A nervous chuckle as the audience laughed as well, recognizing the picture and name on the caller ID. It was common knowledge to everyone – mostly because Zarc would find every opportunity on every occasion possible to mention it, that he and another Pro-Duelist were married. Akaba Ray aka the Speeding Diva. It… surprised no one, ultimately. But for her to call in the middle of a duel… that was unprecedented.

“Hey, sweetheart – I’m in the middle of a duel.” She must’ve known he was busy or otherwise forgot what time his duel was scheduled for.

“ ** _I’m in labor!_** ”

Zarc’s eyes went wide as he could hear her pained and practiced breathing on the other end. “But you’re not due for another two weeks!” She had a false alarm before, this had to be another one. And it was such a bad time too!

The audience gasped and fell quiet, hearing him through his own speaker and how panicked his eyes and tone had become. “Hey, well – tell the baby th _aah!_ ” He could hear her voice trail off into a high-pitched scream. It was real, no false alarm. The baby was coming now.

He needed to go.

The phone was hung up and the audience, even his opponent stared – simply stunned. There wasn’t much time to waste. Zarc jumped up from Odd-Eyes to another platform, taking hold of a card laying on the ground. He grinned. Originally, his plan was to draw this out for another few turns and keep the audience at the edge of their seats but… he no longer had that luxury.

“… uh, anyways. I activate self-destruct making our life points zero and oh hey! Look at that! Action card! Evasion!” His opponent’s life points quickly descended to zero while Zarc’s miniscule ones stayed intact thanks to his quick thinking. The fastest way to end the duel and he didn’t have to forfeit.

The crowd was going wild at the fastest ending to a duel they had ever seen but Zarc wasn’t about to take his time to bask in the applause as he normally did or try to hog the cameras. As the holograms faded away, he was already sprinting across the stadium – past his opponent and the cameras screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs. He had somewhere else to be and that involved the maternity ward.

 _Shit_!

The traffic was intense and he didn’t have the time needed to catch a cab – not through the parking nightmare that was the stadium and the downtown area. Thinking quickly, he combed through his deck and pulled out Clear-Wing, setting the card on his duel disk and the monster appearing before his eyes. “Ok, Clear-Wing! I need to get to the hospital before Ray kills me!” He jumped on him without a moment’s notice and was practically bouncing in place before the monster took off.

“ _Why would she? You didn’t lose, what’s the hold-up?_ ”

“No, but our baby is about to be born and my ass ain’t with her!”

“… _is it that important?_ ”

“Incredibly! Now hurry up!”

Zarc would have to remember later on to profusely thank Akaba Leo for combining duel monsters with their solid vision system in the first place – much better than trying to take a taxi or weave through traffic on his own. Though Clear-Wing kept bothering him with inane questions about babies. It was understandable, he didn’t get it. But still, Zarc was hardly in a coherent state right now as all he could think of was Ray in a hospital and giving birth without him there. He wanted to be there.

 _Damn it!_ The last thing he should’ve done was accepted the duel in the first place. He knew how close she was. It was stupid of him to assume he could squeeze in another match at such short notice. And worse so, the opponent didn’t give him that much of a show in the first place…

At the very least, if he was late then he’d have a funny story to tell at parties for the rest of this kid’s life. Especially since the news would _definitely_ report his abrupt end to the duel and probably filmed him screaming as he ran out of the stadium. Oh… it made for a funny story.

The little things in life.

Clear-Wing began to fly lower till they reached a building. The excitement and anxiety built up in Zarc’s stomach, he had never felt such fear and joy before. Even during his duels, this wasn’t… how he usually felt. “Eh?” Zarc looked around and groaned loudly as he jumped off his dragon. “You idiot! This is the roof!”

“ _Does it matter?_ ”

“Yes, it fucking does!” Zarc screamed as he ran to the nearest door, it was clearly to lead him down a series of steps. He deactivated his duel disk and Clear-Wing went away. Well… at least he was _at_ the damn hospital now. Though he would’ve preferred to have been dropped off at the front so he could know where to go immediately. No, instead now he was forced running – even _jumping_ down fights of steps before finding an elevator. Constantly pressing the same button did not actually make it appear faster but it did  help his anxiety.

When it finally did open, he scoured the buttons, searching for the maternity ward. There had to be a label somewhere…

His duel disk began beeping as a series of text poured in. This time from Akaba Leo.

 **Where are you? Ray is asking.**  
**By asking, I mean screaming.**  
 **I can’t tell if her threats are serious or not.**  
 **Just hurry up, we’re on the 5 th floor.**

“Agh!” Pent-up frustration and he pressed the level five button. The doors were slow in closing and all he could do was bounce in place, no part of him was holding still. It wasn’t possible. His nerves were unsteady. She was going to be fine, he told himself. He just needed to hurry up.

This elevator needed to hurry up.

Clear-Wing should’ve just barreled himself into the hospital. Maybe he should’ve summoned another dragon. No… all others would’ve torn through traffic and he didn’t have the sufficient funds to pay for those kinds of damages. The elevator was slower than a paralyzed snail; maybe running down numerous flights of stairs in a panicked frenzy was a better idea and more use of his time.

“How many fucking floors are in this stupid…?”

 **I’m at the hospital!**  
**Elevator too fucking slow… ugh**  
 **BUT I’M HERE!**  
 **I SWEAR!!**

The elevator was finally reaching his floor. The doors slowly opened and given enough space, Zarc sprinted out of the elevator, circling in place trying to figure out where a reference desk or map of some kind was. He groaned loudly, deciding to take a left and resisted the urge to start screaming out her name.

… How _mad_ would she be if he did that?

_Fuck it!_

“Ray! Ray! Which room is yours!” A nurse came out, trying to reprimand him to yelling and that there were patients on this floor, hearing someone acting in a panic would only frighten them. He barely heard her, seeing someone else round a corner and there was a relief at last. Leo looked annoyed of all things but at the very least, he was there. And he would clearly direct him to Ray. “Sorry I’m-”

“Spare me your apologies.”

The blunt response as Leo frantically led him to the room where Ray was. Thankfully, he arrived in time. The worst had yet to start. Zarc did his best, urgently running to her side and stroking her hair and taking her hand into his, whispering comforting words to her. She hadn’t panicked yet.

Her pains were increasing.

“What took you… so long?” Ray did her best to control her breathing, her grip on Zarc’s hand tightening.

He chuckled softly, giving her a gentle grin. “Ah, well… match ran a bit long. You can probably catch it on the news later.”

“You bonehead, was it that ba _aaah,_ oh god…!”

It was a long, difficult night.

Leo opted to stay in the waiting room as Zarc stayed with her, doing his best to keep her calm. She was getting increasingly worried, the baby had yet to come out and the pain was so much. Ray didn’t want medicine to numb herself up, worrying about the effects it would have on the baby.

“Imagine, the baby comes out and he’s already high.”

If it weren’t for the fact that she was distracted by labor pains, Zarc was certain she would’ve smacked him. As it was, she was already taking a toll on his hand.

Maybe he’d ask a doctor to check it out later.

It was near sunrise when the final push came about, a baby’s cries filling the room as the doctors pulled him out.

A boy!

Ray was nearly on the verge of fainting, it had… taken such a toll. All Zarc could do was lay kisses against her hair, whispering to her. “You did great… you did great.” He repeated, his voice soft and sweet.

“Is the baby… is the-” She was tired. The doctor came over, holding onto a screeching baby wrapped up in a blanket and laid him into Ray’s welcoming arms. She was already in tears, finally able to hold her baby. “Oh my gosh, hey little one…” He fussed in her arms as she stroked his cheek. “You’re so pretty.”

Zarc stuck out his finger, pressing it against the baby’s nose. “You’re…” Oh, his reaction was different from hers. He had a different idea on what babies were meant to look like, his only experience being the baby commercials and books. To see a newborn in person was something else. “You’re so _ugly_.”

“Zarc!”

“What? He is… and wrinkly. And really red.”

She stared at the baby, finding it difficult to keep mad at her idiot husband for long. But still. “Babies look like this when they come out.”

“Ok, but _we’re_ pretty people.”

“Shut _up_.” Ray groaned, hugging the baby tighter. “You’re gorgeous, don’t listen to your mean daddy.” Her voice was higher pitched talking to the baby, cooing and tender. Zarc laughed, holding out his finger to the baby’s hand, amazed by how _tiny_ he was. Not even enough to hold his whole finger, only a little portion in his tiny grip. He could deal with an ugly baby, red and wrinkly. The barely fierce grip he had on his finger, it enraptured him.

He was in love.

“ _So_ … what are we calling him? I was thinking of something cool like Haou or-”

“Reiji.”

Zarc grimaced at the sudden name. _Rei_ ji… there must’ve been a pattern. An Akaba family trait to name their kid ‘zero’ or something similar. “That’s not fair, I thought we agreed-”

“We haven’t agreed on anything, dummy.” Ray reminded him, raising a finger against his lips. “You haven’t given me a serious suggestion so here is mine. And besides, it’s tradition.”

_Tradition, huh?_

He snorted. What a ridiculous concept. But it was difficult to refuse her, not when she looked so happy. Calling the baby ‘little Rei’ and rubbing her cheek against him as he fussed some more. Zarc leaned forward, kissing her hair. “Ok fine, we’ll call him Reiji. And if he grows up to be a dork, I’m blaming you.”

“Well, he’s half yours so I’m sure he will.”

Zarc didn’t have the words to argue, too distracted by his son’s hold and how such a simple thing to melt his heart. He smiled at Ray, kissing her again.


	7. Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt || AU  
> True love's kiss will awaken her. [Sleeping Beauty AU]

Zarc had been paid by the king to watch the sleeping princess. Struck down by an arrow and forced into a deep slumber, she lay in a tower to await her champion. His job was to watch her and prevent anyone who was unworthy from getting near her. It was a simple enough plan to follow. Whenever he was told someone was near, he’d send a dragon. If they managed to get past all four, then he was the final obstacle to try and awaken the princess.

No suitor had gotten past one dragon.

Fire and brimstone and lightening, tearing the earth from under them. Simple blades of iron weren’t to defeat his dragons. Zarc sighed. “Guess your knight in shining armor ain’t coming anytime soon, eh Princess?”

Zarc gave a weak smile and sat on the bed with the girl, brushing her bangs aside. Sometimes, he would strike up a conversation with her. It was the only form of company he had aside from his dragons. Not that he didn’t enjoy spending time with them but there were times he just… needed to see another person. _Talk_ to another human. He was trapped there as much as her.

He just knew her as Princess Ray, cursed by a jealous witch to sleep for eternity. With curses like this, only a kiss of true love could awaken her. Many had come far and wide to try their luck and Zarc was her only line of defense. The thought of anyone pushing their way to this tower and seeing a defenseless, sleeping woman… he couldn’t leave her.

“You know, your dad put a really nice view in this room. The sunset is gorgeous, ya know?” An awkward laugh as he patted her hand. Her skin wasn’t cold to his touch, still warm. She was alive.

The Princess was somewhere there.

He sighed.

“ _Zarc! We’re bored!_ ”

“ _There hasn’t been a fight in nearly a week!_ ”

His monsters’ cries could be heard for miles around. They were getting antsy, clearly. Not allowed to stray too far from the tower and it was getting to them. They didn’t like to be cooped up there. All trapped because of a sleeping princess.

Zarc walked to the window and took a deep breath. “Deal with it!” He cried out as loud as he could, the only response they gave were roars of indignant anger and annoyance. Nothing he hadn’t heard before. Maybe a walk would do him good.

“I’ll be back in a bit, Princess.”

Why did he do that? Every time he left her, Zarc made sure to inform her. To greet her every morning. Tell her about the sunrise, what his dragons did, legends and myths that came to mind.

He just… wanted to talk to her.

Some part of him hoped she would wake up, talk back so he could finally hear her voice. Maybe even see what her eyes looked like. He imagined they were blue, much like her father’s. Sometimes the king came to visit – a rare occasion considering the safety involved. And Zarc would report to him of any champions that came to fight and how miserably they failed. Each time, the sorrow in the king’s eyes grew.

Maybe informing him wasn’t the greatest idea.

“Have _you_ tried?”

That question bore into his mind. Quickly, Zarc took a knee and exclaimed, “No, Your Majesty! I would never dare!” He had sworn not to lay a hand on the princess. He was not the champion meant for her. He was there simply as a last test – to see how far a suitor would go.

Thankfully, the king didn’t pursue the topic. Unfortunately, it stayed in Zarc’s mind. The days afterwards, it plagued him. For all this time and how often he sent out his dragons to fight champion after champion – by now, it was process of elimination. Which begged the question…

Why _hadn’t_ he tried before?

“I’d be no good for you, Princess.” Zarc was eating a sandwich as he sat on the chair opposite of the bed, watching her sleeping form. “I snore, my manners suck, I keep company of dragons. Dragons! That should say enough.”

_I’m talking to a half-dead corpse, **that** says enough…_

Why was he doing this to himself? Princess Ray, with locks of silken red hair and porcelain skin. She was a beauty. But he had seen beauties before. Zarc sighed again, putting aside his plate and taking a seat on the bed.

 _This is stupid_.

He’d try, once. And immediately afterwards, go to his dragons and beg them to beat sense into him for even entertaining such a ridiculous idea let alone going through with them. Zarc slowly removed his gloves, contemplating the pros and cons to him going through with it.

If he kissed her and she awoken… then he was her true love. But he knew nothing about her, not even the color of her eyes. What was she like as a person? Would they possibly get along? Would _she_ even like him? Zarc didn’t want her to be saddled with him simply because he saved her.

And if she didn’t wake up, then nothing lost. He gained nothing. The king would still despair. And he would still… be talking to her and be given silent company.

“God help ya if I wake you up… please don’t hit me if I do, it’s the only way to wake you.” He reached out, his hand brushing her cheek. Her skin warm and soft. It wasn’t the first time he touched her cheek – why did his heart pound like a beating drum?

Slowly, Zarc leaned down closer to her face. He just needed to kiss her… his eyes slowly slid closed as he pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss. They were softer than he thought, not chapped like his own. The room suddenly felt warmer, his heart had yet to stop hammering and his face reddened. He actually kissed her! He stayed like that for a moment, almost trancelike until he felt something tug his hair.

_Wait…?_

Not just fingers curling into his hair. No, another hand at the back of his neck and a returned kiss. She was…! In a surprise stupor, Zarc took hold of her shoulders and pushed her away, his eyes wide. She was…

Princess Ray woke up!

“… oh _God_ , I am so sorry! Just ah, go back to sleep and I’ll uh… I’ll find your dad and another guy, a _better_ guy-”

“Zarc,” she interrupted, holding her hand out to his cheek. A light caress, like how he touched her. “Can you please stop?”

“I can’t! You woke up and… wait, how do you know my name?” It occurred to him. The first time he met Princess Ray, she was already cursed and hidden away in this tower.

She smiled, it could melt him. “I’m pretty sure you told me your name before. You’ve been talking to me for a couple of years now.” A sudden shock coursed through him. Each time he spoke to her, he thought he was talking to a vegetable. She was lifeless, nearly a corpse. But he talked to her, spoke to her. She heard him? All this time… it was his voice she heard.

Whenever he spoke about the sunrise or gossiped or told stories, it was his voice she heard and clung to and… fell in love with.

“… you’re more handsome than I thought you would be.”

Her eyes were violet, a better shade than he thought.


	8. Closure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt || Second Chance  
> Maybe it was time to move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt is a direct continuation of the first prompt.

The sun was barely up and according to Ray for the past few months, that was the perfect time for a morning jog. At first, it was painful and excruciating. He was used to waking up near three in the afternoon and sleeping at nine in the morning with a three-hour nap in between. Zarc didn’t have to care. But suddenly forcing himself awake at six in the morning – the sun wasn’t even up! He moaned and groaned the whole time, dragging himself out of bed and was half asleep at the park. Slugging his way along the trail next to her and only came alive when he had food in his system.

But after a couple of days, maybe a week he got used to it. If anything, it forced him to get a proper sleeping schedule which was better for him ultimately. Zarc slid down the pole and turned around, nearly jumping back in surprise at seeing Yoko sitting on the couch. She was awake, sitting with her legs crossed and motioning for him to come forward.

The first thing he thought of was to defend himself. Had they been robbed? Was Yuya acting up? Was he in trouble?

“I just wanna talk.”

Even worse, what did they have to talk about? The last time they _talked_ was when Yuya first offered his home to him and Yoko threatened him in typical gang fashion to follow the rules of her household. Zarc sighed and came forward, sitting across from her. “… this isn’t gonna take long, is it? I kinda have somewhere to be.”

“I’m sure Ray won’t mind you being a minute or two late.”

Zarc was surprised, becoming tense for a few moments. He never mentioned _Ray._ How did she know? He wanted to ask, if only to know at not subtle he was being but it only took a process of elimination. Zarc knew no one in town and the only person with guts to be around him that he would even _attempt_ to give the time of day would be anyone who defeated him. Meaning Ray.

It wasn’t too hard to figure out.

“What’s there to talk about? Do I need to do chores or something? Not sure if I can pay bills or whatever, but-”

Yoko reached her hand out and grasped onto his knee, smiling at him. “No, nothing like that. You just… seem more yourself now.”

The tense feeling did not go away. What did she mean by that? “You don’t know me though.” He retorted, a slight attitude and spite in his voice.

She, however… she must’ve heard his spite, his defiant tone. No reaction. “It’s instinct.” Zarc scoffed at her words. More like himself wasn’t exactly something he could easily do. But Yoko didn’t let up or anything. In fact, her expression was sincere. Had it always been like that? “And also, you should have breakfast with us today. So don’t take too long.” She patted his leg before getting back up and messing his hair. Zarc flinched from the sudden contact but it felt kinda nice.

Odd, but nice.

She wasn’t as hostile as he thought.

_Whatever…_

He had places to go and a jog to complete else Ray would probably make him run another mile or two. At least this was keeping him in better shape.

\---

“So… she was being nice?”

“ _Yea_! And it was _weird_!” Zarc explained as he and Ray continued their jog around the park. He barely arrived on time but she hadn’t been waiting long, just doing stretches to pass the time. He hadn’t made way for small talk, merely describing immediately about the weird talk Yoko attempted to have with him.

Short and creepy.

Ray huffed. “Maybe she’s trying to be nice?”

“A little late, ya know.”

Though he didn’t tell her about her invitation. _Have breakfast with us today._ He didn’t know what to make of that. For a while, he didn’t think about their family meals or anything to do with them as a collective unit. He wanted to stay out of it, to be in his own bubble. But if she asked once, she would ask again. And worse, her husband or even Yuya would start. Zarc wanted to ask advice; how did Ray handle family meals and the prospect of bonding?

_No, that’s stupid_. She probably enjoyed that. Her and her big happy family…

“It’s creepy. She was trying to get my guard down. She never talks to me.” None of them did, but he wouldn’t readily admit that.

“I mean, I would kill for Himika to try and talk to me. I think the most I’ve gotten her to say to me was ‘I’m not your mother’ which is, not… progress.” Ray admitted. Hearing Zarc complain about Yoko and her attempt to being nice, she wanted to laugh. And cry. Probably both. She stopped, realizing what she had said aloud. It would be better if she ran the other way, running back home and under her sheets – to forget what she admitted.

Zarc noticed she wasn’t running alongside and slowed to a halt. He turned his head, seeing her a few feet behind him. Her expression was nothing but horror and guilt, embarrassment. What she revealed was a rather clear view that things were not as rosy as he thought. A big happy family picture. But the mother figure wanted nothing to do with her. It was like watching a stack of dominos, once one toppled over the rest came crashing down with it.

Was she… not happy?

Zarc walked to her, the closer he got the more he could see how distant her eyes became and how much she was shaking. “Are you-”

“Don’t.” Her tone was unsteady, her voice cracked.

Each time they jogged, a topic ensued. She would speak about her studies, what she enjoyed. Maybe a funny thing she remembered from childhood. He would do the same, talk about his abilities or dumb jokes. They each avoided talking about their alter egos or even home. Zarc knew why _he_ never asked, he didn’t want to hear how peachy keen everything was. How utterly delightful everything was and how much she was adored.

He never asked. But then again, she never brought it up.

Before today, he never brought up the Sakaki home. There was never any reason to. Today was the first he mentioned it and all he could do was rant and feed his paranoia. “… for being able to hear spirits, you’d think I’d be able to read a situation better.” He made a joke, chuckling slightly. But she wasn’t laughing. She wasn’t smiling. Perhaps humor wasn’t the best method.

Ray didn’t respond to that.

Zarc couldn’t allow that. For her to stay quiet and dismissive over something. This was not the same Akaba Ray that dared to defy him and split him into four, dividing the world into four. Nor the same woman that bribed him out near every morning with pancakes. This was someone different, a side unseen.

A weird feeling, he realized. They were the same.

Neither really belonged.

“Please don’t make a joke right now. I’m really not in mood.” Ray said after a few moments of silence. She was doing her best, trying to keep this down. This _bitter_ feeling down. He was able to get something from Sakaki Yoko. He wasn’t even trying. It wouldn’t be long before the others welcomed him too whereas she had yet to find the same comforting embrace in her home.

“You’re right.” Zarc nodded. “… I’m being a brat, ain’t I?”

“A _big_ brat.”

He took a deep breath and laid a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “So… ya up for breakfast?”

“I don’t feel like pancakes.”

“No, no. I uh…” Oh, this was awkward. How was he meant to explain this? “Uh, see – Yoko actually invited me to breakfast today.” The bitter feeling was rising again in Ray. Sakaki Yoko was being nice to him _and_ was giving him a place at her table? And what was this, more complaining. “And truth be told, I don’t exactly feel… the most eh… fuck, this is hard.”

“Spit it out!” What was the big deal?

“Can you come with me?” Ray backed up, his hand was off her and she stared, her eyes widened in surprise. Zarc took this as a sign to continue. Though his stance was strange, more nervous as his eyes strayed to the side. “If you’re there, I got less to be paranoid about. Nothing’s more freakier than the woman who split me up so…”

She could cry, but for a different reason. He wanted her there. More or less, he felt _safe_ by her. It was a strange feeling to say the least, how much that warmed her heart. How giddy the invitation and confession made her. “Oh, I don’t know… I might have plans. Big family breakfast at my place and all.” Her tone was nothing but sarcasm, mirroring his sense of avoidance.

Zarc put his hand to his chin, almost in thought. It looked like a show, but the way his eyes were focused. No, he was thinking deeply before snapping his fingers and facing her. She didn’t realize how fast he could be, taking her hands in his own. “Tell ya what; you come with me today and I’ll go to your place for dinner.”

Ray didn’t expect that. “… are you crazy? I’m not _scared_ of my family.”

“Maybe not but… it’s better when you’re not the only odd man out.” Zarc smiled and Ray didn’t realize his smile could be sincere.

He was being genuine, trying to help her. And all he wanted in return was for her to go with him and make sure he wasn’t throwing himself into the wolves’ den. There weren’t words she could say easily, too many running through her mind and nothing coming out. Instead, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.

It did surprise him, throw him off even that Akaba Ray was hugging him. This wasn’t a reality he ever thought possible. Granted, he knew the boys shared this kind of affection with her clones often. It was obvious. But that was them. It never crossed his mind that one day, she would do the same. And worse yet, he smiled and wrapped his arms around her as well. This did feel nice.

“So… is that a yes?”

She nodded, mumbling a yes softly. “… I can’t believe I’m selling myself for pancakes.”

Zarc laughed. “Yea, well – join the club, sweetheart.”

Perhaps this reality was better.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Duties](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10583289) by [seasaltmemories](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasaltmemories/pseuds/seasaltmemories)




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